July 24, 2012 1:26pm EDTJuly 24, 2012 11:22am EDTJustin Upton, the subject of trade speculation for weeks, now appears likely to remain with the Diamondbacks.

Staff report

Published on Jul. 24, 2012

Jul. 24, 2012

Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton might not be headed anywhere, after all. The subject of much trade speculation for weeks, Upton appears destined to remain with the organization that drafted him first overall in 2005.

"I think we're better off with him on our team," Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick told The Arizona Republic. "I this whole thing has gotten way more attention than it deserves."

Watch This

Kendrick is one reason for that attention. In early June, he publically criticized Upton’s performance during a radio interview, calling him an enigma and expressing frustration about his inconsistent play a season after he finished fourth in the NL MVP voting. Diamondbacks fans also voiced their displeasure, booing Upton on occasion.

Earlier this month, Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers admitted he would listen to offers for Upton, saying that no player is untouchable. Either no one’s offer matched Arizona’s liking, or the team never really was as serious about parting with him as previously believed.

While expressing confidence that Upton will remain with the team, Kendrick didn’t back off the enigma label he put on the 24-year-old.

"An enigma is a mystery," Kendrick told the newspaper. "It's a mystery why Justin can be so great at times and other times not be that great. It's frustrating for him and, when I put my fan hat on, frustrating for me. ... But I'm a big fan of Justin. I absolutely feel his best years are ahead of him."

In 89 games this season, Upton is batting .276 with eight homers, 41 RBIs and a .529 slugging percentage. Last season, he hit .289 with 31 homers, 88 RBIs and a .412 slugging percentage.